World's first binding mercury treaty adopted

Delegations from 140 countries have agreed to adopt the world's first legally binding treaty on limiting to use of health-hazardous mercury.

The ground-breaking treaty was reached in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday after a week of thorny talks to try and reduce global emission levels of the toxic heavy metal.

"The new treaty aims to reduce the production and the use of mercury, especially in the production of products and in industrial processes," the Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement.

Countries will be asked to sign the treaty next October in Minamata, Japan, in honour of the town's inhabitants who for decades have suffered the consequences of serious mercury contamination, the statement said.

"The adoption of the mercury treaty shows the vitality of international environmental politics and the will of states to together find solutions to world problems," head of the Swiss delegation to the talks, Franz Perrez, said in the statement.

Mercury is found in products ranging from electrical switches, thermometers and light-bulbs, to amalgam dental fillings and even facial creams.

Large amounts of the heavy metal are released from small-scale gold mining, coal-burning power plants, metal smelters and cement production.

Serious mercury poisoning affects the body's immune system and can lead to problems including psychological disorders, loss of teeth and problems with the digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory tracts.

It also affects development of the brain and nervous system and poses the greatest risk to foetuses and infants.

'Terrible legacy'

UN under-secretary general and head of the UN environment program (UNEP) Achim Steiner said the treaty agreement was a "herculean task".

"It is quite remarkable how much mercury in a sense has entered into use in our lives ... We've been creating a terrible legacy," Mr Steiner said.

"Mercury accumulates in the food chain through fish ... It is released through coal-fired power stations and it travels sometimes thousands of kilometres.

"It affects the Inuit in Canada just as it affects the small-scale artisanal gold miner somewhere in southern Africa."

The treaty sets a phase out date of 2020 for a long line of products, including mercury thermometers, blood pressure measuring devices, most batteries, switches, some kinds of fluorescent lamps and soaps and cosmetics.

It however provides exceptions for some large medical measuring devices where no mercury-free alternatives exist yet.

In a controversial move, it also excluded vaccines that use mercury as a preservative, since the risk from these vaccines is considered low and for many developing nations removing them would entail losing access to vaccines altogether, Tim Kasten, head of the UNEP's chemicals division, said.